The Not Ready for Prime Time Playoff

THE HEROIC CREATIVE TYPEMatthew Perry and Bradley Whitford star as Matt and Danny, a writer-and-director duo once fired from Studio 60. When a Lorne Michaels–esque producer wigs out, the network’s rookie president lures them back to save the show.

THE MEDDLING SUITJordan McDeere (Amanda Peet) has been hired as president of the fictional network NBS. One character questions her chops: “I’m not like every other heterosexual man in show business. I don’t find you charming.”

Photo: Courtesy of Eric Liebowitz/NBC

THIS SHOW JUST MIGHT REVIVE THE CAREER OF …Matthew Perry, who, as the troubled but brilliant writer, hopes to make us forget all about Chandler Bing.

REAL-LIFE TRIVIA TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDSMatt splits with his cast-member girlfriend when she shills a gospel album on The 700 Club. Creator Aaron Sorkin once dated Kristin Chenoweth, a West Winger who appeared on The 700 Club.

BOLD SWIPE AT THE NETWORK OVERLORDS “I have no reason to trust you and every reason to not.” “Why?” “You work in television.” Runner-up: “If you pointed a camera at two people masturbating, it would be among the least embarrassing things on [NBS].”

30 RockNBC; premieres October 11 (8:30 p.m.)

THE HEROIC CREATIVE TYPETina Fey stars as Liz Lemon, the brain behind The Girlie Show, a “real fun ladies comedy show for ladies.” Lemon clashes with a boorish NBC executive.

THE MEDDLING SUIT Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) is promoted after his successful marketing of “the trivection oven.” His approach to comedy: “Sometimes you have to change things that are perfectly good to make them your own.”

THIS SHOW JUST MIGHT REVIVE THE CAREER OF …Tracy Morgan, who, as the troubled, semi-delusional black superstar Tracy Jordan, hopes to make us forget all about The Tracy Morgan Show.

REAL-LIFE TRIVIA TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDSTracy Morgan’s character is plagued by bad press; thanks to his own shirt-doffing antics, Morgan’s a fixture on “Page Six,” which has dubbed him the “nightclub nightmare.”

BOLD SWIPE AT THE NETWORK OVERLORDS “Standards has a problem with that Michael Jackson bit. Apparently you can’t say he has a vagina.” Runner-up: “Surely our massive conglomerate parent company could spring for a samovar of coffee?” Next: Why to Watch The Wire